Body and Soul
by N. Kage
Summary: A coven of vampires, ancient and powerful, have encountered a terrible threat on their land, that threatens their very existance. Read and Review please. This is my second D&D fic, so be nice. Chapter 2 is up.
1. Dark Beginnings

So, this is my second D&D story. Thanks to the writer Alboc for the story name and the material needed to write this. He's my brother in fact. Good writing runs in the family, eh?

Enjoy. Obviously, this is late from what my profile said.

A scream echoed across the wooded hills around the dark town of Kermed. It was followed by another scream, and another and another, until the ears of all who could hear were filled with screaming. Sleeping birds took off from the trees, cawing in terror. Wolves hid in their dens, fangs bared at an enemy they did not see. The people of Kermed simply pulled their sheets over their heads and prayed they would be not taken. They all knew that on some nights, the terrible lords from atop Mount Kermed swooped down and took some poor souls to feed their thirst. Except they went readily to their deaths, for they knew that without their blood, their pale lords would swoop down and slay their friends and families without remorse. The screaming stopped abruptly, leaving a sinister silence. Another sound crept in through the silence, the crunching of bones and the soft sound of chewing. The townsfolk did not hear this, for their hearing was not acute enough. One of the few out this night who could hear it was not quite human.

Set knew it was not his kin out hunting for victims. The coven did not have the need to hunt anymore, not for millennia in fact. This was something else, attacking their flock. Set stood, emerging from his hiding place like a shadow. Even though the rest of the coven treated the people of Kermed like cattle, he knew that even cattle can throw surprises. Thus, Set was always armed and armored, ready to take the fight to any that came, whether it was other vampires, those holier-than-thou clerics that came around now and then, or something else besides.

The black armored vampire ran through the even darker woods, confident enough in his own abilities that he did not try to find another of the coven to help him investigate what was disturbing the flock. Set also had his own reason for not summoning another vampire, even one schooled in the magical arts. He was not a pureblood vampire; he had been turned by his current master, Lord Korjn. Thus, Set had everything to prove, for only pureblood vampires could get any measure of respect in the coven.

The screaming seemed to have been coming from across the valley, but it was hard to pin down because of the echo. However, Set could smell the blood, even from this distance. At least five of the flock had been culled, and Set could hear one more crying. Something from within Set told him that the crying was pitiful, but he had long ago learned to ignore such things.

A shape, too far away for his dark-vision to make out, emerged from the village ahead, and headed towards the screaming, two other figures in tow. Set immediately knew it was Lady Serina and her apprentice Erthello. The last figure was one of the villagers, whose name Set had never bothered to learn. He had long ago been dominated by Serina, and now zealously guarded her. Erthello was a half-blood, looked down on even more than a turned one. It was rumored amongst the coven's upper-class that Erthello was the bastard son of Serina and one of the flock. She firmly denied the rumor, for she was the daughter of Lord Korjn and the old, but powerful lord would eliminate her if such a thing was true.

Even though Set would never voice it, he hated Lady Serina with a passion that burned in his chest. Serina was a pureblood, and a particularly arrogant one at that. She had spent her whole life being pampered and taught the wizardly arts, and had never been hunted before. Set had been hunted, by paladins, in these very woods, not quite ten years in the past. He had slain them all and marked the boundaries of the covens land with their bones. He had almost died again at least four times that night, and bore each scar with pride. Few of the other coven members could boast about something even close to what he had done that night. But that was not important at the moment.

Set hurried, catching up with the villager, who at the last second spun, a silver-edged long-sword in one hand and a spiked shield in the other. Set did not even draw his weapons. Instead, the vampire side-stepped around the villagers defense and tripped him, before moving to run alongside Erthello.

Serina turned and hissed in displeasure. "If you have hurt Samuel, I will stake your naked body out during the day and have water poured on your burned flesh."

"You will find me to be tougher prey than the sheep that you hunt, my Lady." Set spit back. Erthello smacked him, hard enough to show he was serious.

"Treat your lady with more respect than that!" the half-blood snarled, baring his bloody fangs. So they had been 'hunting.'

Set smiled back, baring his longer and sharper fangs. The vampire stopped and spun his twin short swords out of their sheathes at his waist.

"Stop and listen!" he hissed urgently. In all the bickering, they had closed on the site and not even known. Erthello stopped instantly, his hands forming the beginning to a spell. Set could still hear Samuel, blundering up the path. Serina had also stopped, her hands impatiently crossed across her chest.

"You should not dare to tell me what to do…" she began, until she heard footsteps ahead of her. She quickly adopted a defensive pose, one of her wands in her hand.

"You should not be inferring with things you do not understand, mortals." A thin voice said, seeming to come from nowhere. Only after a second, Set realized that the voice came from in his mind. A psion?

"You should not be on our land!' Serina screamed in the night, still unable to see who was sneaking around their minds. 'You do not know of the terror you have disturbed this night!"

"Neither do you." The voice again echoed in Sets mind, making him feel as if someone was probing around his thoughts. The black armored vampire silently called to the creatures of night, asking for something. He had a feeling this would not be easy. Set stepped forward, past Lady Serina, edging towards were he smelled the blood and something strange, like fish.

Something terrible came into his sight. He had seen many awful and amusing things in his unlife, but this was something that chilled him.

"Mindflayer!"

Set charged the abomination, but stopped mid-stride. The mindflayer's skin was dry and cracked, not the usual moist, mucus covered type. It did not appear living. It was thin and spidery, and held a severed head in one hand.

Serina pushed Set aside and shouted at him, "It is an alhoon!"

The lich-mindflayer threw back its tentacled head and laughed. "I'm glad you know what I am. That will make you taste all the sweeter." The mindflayer placed his palms on his head and seemed to concentrate for a moment. From the center of the mindflayers head, a great cone of energy shot, knocking Set and Serina off their feet and leaving Erthello and Samuel reeling in pain.

Set was the first back on his feet, slashing at the mindflayer as it closed. His enchanted blades rebounded off the mindflayers dry skin as if it was stone.

"Run! We cannot defeat it!" Set grabbed the still reeling form of Serina and hauled her with him, pumping his legs. Erthello and Samuel joined him. Samuel was holding his head, but still managed to keep up.

Set risked a look back and saw a swarm of dark bats striking futilely at the alhoon. They would keep it busy until the vampires got away.


	2. The Manor

Set slammed his palms into the heavy, double doors of the covens manor house and pushed them open, the hinges creaking in a sinister way. To the noble vampires lounging and chatting in the hall, Set looked like the epitome of vampires. Lightening flashed behind him, making his face seem pale and harsh. His armor was glistening from the rain that had started a few moments ago, and he was breathing heavily. As he walked through the doorway, his heavy boots thudding on the hard wood floor, the hall fell silent. Set had fallen out with Lord Korjn, so whatever reason he had for coming to the manor was important.

Behind Set, Lady Serina came, with Samuel and Erthello close behind. They were all soaking wet and Lady Serina had a fresh wound on her head, but it was rapidly healing. Serina was a more common figure in the manor, and several nobles stood and bowed to her, recognizing her status.

At the far end of the hall, upon his black throne, clothed in black robes, toying with a massive halberd, sat Lord Korjn. The ancient vampire looked annoyed, his sharp red eyes mere pinpricks in his pale face.

"Why has an upstart turned-one barged into my hall?" Korjn asked to no one in particular, laying his halberd across his lap.

"My Lord, I bring dire news! We have…"

Another vampire rose from near Set and cut off him in mid sentence with an evil glare.

"Lord Korjn, why should we even listen to a turned-one, more than likely preaching about problems the flock is having? He is just wasting your time."

The large vampire lord looked straight at the vampire noble, seeming to look through him. The noble took this unspoken message and stepped aside and smiled at Set, baring his large fangs. Set bared his, issuing a low grow from his throat at the same time.

"My Lord Korjn, myself and these others,' Set turned a step and indicated Lady Serina and the others with a wave of his hand, 'have encountered that most foul of foes, a mind-flayer in the woods near Kermed! We must act now and wipe this threat from our lands!" with Sets words, the hall erupted in an uproar. Everyone present was standing and shouting objection, from the nobles, from the thralls, from all. They yelled that mind-flayers were never seen on the surface and other things besides.

Lady Serina stepped forward and raised her hands. "Gentle nobles, I know that this event seems improbable, but it is true! We must act and remove this threat from our land, before the mind-flayer takes our flock from us! What say you, Lord Korjn?"

The great vampire lord placed the blade of his halberd on the floor and spun it slowly, making a harsh scraping sound. Korjn looked up after a long moment and stared into Set's eyes, fixing him with his strong gaze. Set stared right back, unflinchingly. Again after a long moment, Korjn pointed a pale, bony finger at Set and beckoned him forward.

The hall was silent as Set stepped forward towards Korjn's throne, his hands resting on the hilts of his swords.

"Yes, Lord?" Set said slowly, painfully aware the Lord could easily kill him with one swing of the great halberd that was still spinning next to Sets foot.

"I turned you, correct?"

"Yes, my Lord."

"Then I believe you. No spawn of mine could lie to my face.' Korjn leaned towards Set and smiled, exposing two inch fangs, the same fangs Set had felt some years ago. 'I then decree that you four must destroy this threat or die trying. I have spoken."

Lady Serina hissed from behind Set and whispered in his ear, "You will not be coming back from this, you idiot!" Set responded once again by growling deeply from his throat.

"We hear you, Lord." Set sighed. This kind of thing always happened to him. He then spun on his heel and hissed at Lady Serina, "Get out of my face!" He pushed past the others and strode out the door, heading for his lair in the hills. He needed to get some things before he began hunting the foul thing. The others might follow him.


End file.
